


I can Make a Change

by Alys_Gay_Parade



Category: Gravity Falls, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Aly's pain factory, Drug Use, Gen, So who else got gut punched with relatability from the finale?, Trans Dipper, Underage Drug Use, mentions of transphobia and past child abuse, steven commits crimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alys_Gay_Parade/pseuds/Alys_Gay_Parade
Summary: After months of travelling the country to find where he fits, Steven finds himself in a small town called Gravity Falls.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Fiddleford H. McGucket/Ford Pines
Comments: 12
Kudos: 161





	1. Chapter 1

"So, have you figured out where you’re gonna end up staying?” Connie took another bite from her sandwich as Steven’s camera panned to show nothing but forest. The corners of her lips quirked into a smirk as she leaned back in her chair. “I’m taking that as a no.” 

“Ugh, this is hopeless. Nowhere I’ve gone has felt right.” Steven laid flat onto the roof of his car, shoving a fast food burger into his mouth. “I dunno, Connie. Maybe leaving was a mistake. I’ve been traveling the country for _months_ , and I have no idea where I’m going-” 

“Hey, I’m sure it’s not that bad. I mean, the pine trees look nice.” Connie turned to a fresh page in her notebook, copying some information from her textbook. 

“No, I mean I’ve been lost in the Oregon wilderness for the last eight hours.” 

“Google Maps?” 

“Apparently, this road doesn’t exist. It's like I’m going in circles.” Steven’s eyes scanned the treetops as he heard a rustling from somewhere nearby. “What the heck is that?” 

“What’s what? Steven! Don’t you set the phone down, show me!” 

Steven walked toward the rustling, expecting an animal of some sort. He was instead greeted by a few kids. “Woah, feral woods children. I’ve only read about stuff like this.” He reached his hand out to the youngsters, suddenly startled when they stood to almost twice his height. 

Then he noticed the glowing eyes. The sharp teeth. The claw-like fingers. One of them swiped toward him, prompting him to scream, run, and regroup inside of his vehicle. 

“Steven! What is going on out there?” 

“It’s fine!” One of the creatures slammed itself into his car, causing it to tip slightly. 

“Steven, stop minimizing the problem!” 

“Okay, maybe there’s some creatures trying to hunt me!” Steven let out terrified laughter, feeling himself glow pink before shaking it off. “Oop, no. That goes away.” He rolled the window and held his hand out in a peaceful gesture, only for a claw to go right through it. 

“Steven?” Connie squinted to see Steven in the poor lighting. He sent the creatures a glare as his pink aura swelled, but only kissed his wound and let them see it heal. A few moments of silence passed. “Are they gone?” 

“Yeah, they’ve backed off. I’m okay.” The pink dissipated as he looked back to Connie with a smile. “I should get some rest. Maybe I’m lost because I haven’t slept in twenty hours.” 

“Haha, yeah.” Connie blew a kiss through the screen, smiling at the blush on Steven’s face. “Get some sleep, you goober.” 

Stan took a walk in the forest every night. Walking was good for him, helping his knee replacement heal. The night felt peaceful, a comfort he used to take for granted when trying to save his brother. The quiet eased his worries, the cold keeping him alert. 

Off the trail, Stan caught a metallic glimmer, a reflection of the moon off of a car. He wandered over and peeked inside to find a teenager, fast asleep in the back seat. Stan knows the look of a kid living out of his car, and immediately felt a pang of sympathy. 

He knocked on the window, watching the boy stir. “Hey, kid.” 

Steven blinked through the low light, staring at the strange man. 

“Come on, you need a real bed.” 

Ford looked between Stan and the unfamiliar teenager now sitting in the living room. “He was just sleeping in his car?” 

“Yeah. About the same age I was, too.” Stan glanced over at Steven, watching the boy fiddle with his phone. 

“What if he’s a runaway?” 

“If he ran away, it would be for a reason, Ford.” 

Steven, overhearing their conversation, took a deep breath and approached the men. “Hey, listen, I didn’t run away. I moved out.” 

“I just want to know who you came from. If they’re dangerous, we aren’t going to send you back-” Ford saw how clearly uncomfortable Steven seemed and took a step back. “We just worry about kids on their own. My brother went through it, and-” 

“I... appreciate the concern, but I’m okay. Really.” Steven smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Steven Universe, half gem, half human, and savior of the galaxy.” 

Ford rolled his eyes at his brother’s confusion and let out a chuckle. “Well, Steven. I’m Stanford. This is my twin brother Stanley. And-” 

“Stanferd...” Atop the staircase stood a sleepy Fiddleford, squinting through his glasses. “What are ya up to now?” 

“And that is my partner, Fiddleford,” Ford pointed. “He owns this manor. His son is here too, but he’s probably asleep.” 

“Just like y’all should be.” Fiddleford walked back to their room with a yawn, a gentle click resonating through the hallway. 

“Eh, McGucket’s right. We should get some sleep. C’mon, kid, I’ll show ya to a spare room.” Stan led Steven to a basic room, furnished with a bed, dresser, and desk. “Make yourself at home, we can talk more about things in the morning.” 

Steven thanked Stan as he left before letting himself sink into the mattress. "This is... new. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like this before.” He pulled up his phone, looking at a group photo with everybody in it. “I don’t wanna get my hopes up, but I may have just found my new home.” A smile spread over his face as he swiped to a photo of his mother’s painting. “I’m finally doing what you always wanted me to do. I’m being me, and finding who that is.” 

“I hope you’re proud of me, mom.” 

Steven woke just after sunrise to a crunch of metal and his car alarm going off. Rushing outside in his pajamas and flipflops, he stared at a moving truck slammed into the back end of his vehicle. 

“Mabel, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?!” 

“Oops, my bad.” 

“Your bad?! Not only are we gonna have to pay for the moving truck, but look at that car! You destroyed it.” 

“Dipper, I haven’t slept since we left Piedmont. I’m exhausted!” 

Steven watched Dipper groan and sit on the ground beside the moving truck. “You better hope Fidds can pay this for us.” 

“You know he will, Dipdop.” 

Fiddleford finally emerged, followed by the Stans. “Oh, dear. Mabel, honey, where did you get your license?” 

Mabel hopped out of the truck and stretched, sighing at the release of pressure with a crack of her spine. “Oh, you know. The driving offices of Stan Pines.” 

“Stanley, did you forge her license?” Ford looked pointedly at his twin, groaning at his thumbs up. 

“It’s okay, Grunkle Ford.” Dipper stood again before shaking his head. “I made sure to print out a copy of the test and made sure she passed it before letting her use the license. Not much good that did.” 

“So, what are we gonna do about my car?” Steven’s voice garnered everybody’s attention. 

He looked to the dondai with sad eyes. That had been his home for the last few months. A gift from his father. Steven didn’t even notice he was glowing pink until that tell-tale ringtone went off in his pocket. 

“Steven!” Connie’s voice eased his anxiety, but only a little. He still glowed pink, but he was otherwise calm. And he could tell by Connie’s expression on the video chat that she was just a tad worried. 

“Hey, Connie.” He smiled despite himself. 

“Steven, are you okay? You’re pink.” 

Steven aimed the camera at his totaled car, crumpled in on itself like a sad accordion with the moving truck plowed through it. “Yeah, somebody wasn’t so great at parking this morning.” 

“Where are you?” Connie’s question made Steven really look around since he was woken up the night before. 

“I dunno. Why don’t you hop on Lion and we can find out together?” Steven felt the pink disperse as he relaxed entirely. “I mean, with my car like that, I’m gonna be here a while.” 

“Hm.” Connie looked at her schedule book and smiled. “I did have a lunch date with the dean of a potential university, but if it means missing out on an adventure? Screw it.” 

Within moments, a portal opened up and Connie was there on the back of their trusty animal companion. Steven laughed as she leapt into his arms, spinning the two of them around. “Haha, I haven’t showered in a week, I probably smell like garbage.” 

“Yeah, you do, but it’s so good to see you.” 

Steven turned Connie to meet the family that brought him in, introducing them one by one. “Stan found me sleeping in my car in the woods last night and wouldn’t let that stand. And Mabel is the one that plowed a moving truck into my car.” 

“Hun,” Fiddleford placed a hand on Steven’s shoulder, grinning in embarrassment on Mabel’s behalf, “I will personally repair your car.” 

“I dunno, it looks pretty dead.” Steven looked back to his vehicle in time to watch one of the shattered windows finally fall out of place. 

“Hun, not only am I a mechanical engineer, but I build giant robots as a hobby. I can restore your car to perfection.” 

Ford shook his head before looking to the other two kids. “Why don’t you two take them into town and show them around? Stan and I can move your things in.” 

“Woo woo!” Mabel grabbed her brother, lifting him over her head as she led the way. “Let’s go say hi!” 

Steven shook his head and went inside to change and grab some essentials, knowing full well this may be the start of a new chapter in his life. 


	2. Chapter 2

“Come on, Connie, where’s your sense of adventure?” 

Connie stared at Steven’s aloof expression before looking to the house they stood in front of. “I have a sense of adventure, not a death wish!” Her eyes scanned the crowd, Mabel handling a crowbar, Dipper opening a carton of eggs, Robbie prepping a can of spray paint- this didn’t feel right. “Destroying property? Really?” 

“Connie, listen.” Steven put his hands on her shoulders and took a deep breath. “You heard what Pacifica’s parents did to her. If there’s one thing I’ve learned on the road, it’s that some people deserve negative karma.” 

“Okay, but- we don’t know if that’s what they’re like now!” Connie grabbed Steven’s wrist as he turned away with a sigh. 

“Connie, they had her trained to obey at the ring of a bell. Those kinds of people aren’t usually willing to change.” 

“Steven!” Connie pulled him to face her, concern in her eyes. “The diamonds changed.” 

“And I still haven’t forgiven them, either!” Steven pulled his wrist away and forced back tears. “What, just because they’re trying to make amends, that suddenly erases all the trauma that built up over the last four years? All the fucked up things they did? The people they hurt? Does that just magically go away now?!” 

“Steven, that’s not- you know revenge isn’t the answer.” Connie looked into Steven’s eyes, desperately searching for any semblance of guilt. “Nobody’s the same person they were five years ago.” 

“Oh, trust me,” Pacifica interrupted their conversation, sitting on the hood of Thompson’s car, “they haven’t changed in the slightest. Any time we talk, they tell me how much of a disgrace I am, how I ruin the family image by existing.” 

Mabel dropped her crowbar into Steven’s hands with a smile. “Well, fresh meat? You get the first window.” 

Steven stared at the tool, the chants of “do it” from the others pounding like the blood in his ears. He felt a wave of guilt rush over him, thinking about what Connie said. 

“Come on, do it, pussy.” Steven turned and Glared at Robbie, glowing bright pink. 

“What did you call me?” 

Robbie smirked as he put an arm around Tambry, letting the silence build up for the impact. “Pussy.” 

“I am _not_ a **pussy**!” Steven spun, his yell shaking the ground, and slammed the crowbar directly into a window by the front door. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. A feeling of pure satisfaction flooded his body. Then he broke another window. And another. He hit the mailbox. And as the rest of the kids joined in, he cast a glance at Connie’s sullen expression, standing on the sidelines.

A shrill ringing filled the air, causing Pacifica to drop the roll of toilet paper she was holding. “The security system servers must have finished maintenance; we need to _go_.”

The gaggle of teens and young adults vaulted over the fence and piled into the van, managing to speed off just as the police sirens could be heard in the distance. A long silence passed through the group before Steven processed what he had just done and started to laugh. It was a low chuckle at first, but soon it was full, belly-aching laughter, prompting the rest of the group – save for Connie – to join in. 

“Steven, why are you laughing?!” Connie’s voice did nothing to stop the joy in Steven’s veins. 

“Because. I’m having fun.” He looked to Connie with a smile as the others pat his back and congratulated him on a good “first crime”. And suddenly, Connie understood. He was reinventing himself. He was finding out _who_ Steven is. His decisions were made from compassion, but that didn’t mean he had to be well behaved. 

And she only had one thing to say to that. 

“Pearl is going to kill you if she finds out, you know.” 

“Oh, she’s on the other side of the country, she won’t find out.” 

They pulled into the cemetery, leaving Steven and Connie confused until Wendy pulled out a small box. “Went to the dispensary that opened a couple days ago. So glad that I don’t have to drive an hour anymore to get weed.” 

Steven watched as she neatly packed the pipe and took the first hit, barely coughing at all. She held it out to him. He thought about his options for a moment. And he decided to take the offer. 

“Steven,” He shifted a deadpan stare to Connie as she interjected, “Okay, vandalism is one thing, and while pot is legal in Oregon, you are not twenty-one.” He looked at her hand on his wrist, and then back to her, quirking an eyebrow. “Don’t- Don’t look at me like that! Underage drug offenses are serious!” 

“Connie, the government doesn’t even have any records of my existence.” He brought the pipe to his lips, lighting the plant material. A calm settled in his soul as he held in the smoke, but upon exhaling, he found himself sputtering and coughing. God he felt so embarrassed. Until he heard the other’s laughing, that is. 

“Daw, Dipdop, look, baby’s first hit!” Mabel laughed and looked at her brother. “Remember when I did that?” 

“Yeah, and mom almost caught us?” Dipper gave Steven a playful punch to the shoulder. “Good first attempt, kid. It gets easier.” Steven smiled before offering the pipe to Connie. 

“I- I don’t know, Steven.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, nervously looking away. “What if I can’t, like... get into a good school because of it?” 

“Pfft.” Candy leaned back in the grass with a laugh, directing Connie’s stare to her. “Colleges don’t drug test, Connie. Especially if you’re doing your courses online.” 

Connie glanced back to the pipe, then to Steven’s soft smile. He always made her feel so comfortable doing the most insane things. She’s been to space, she’s helped dismantle alien empires... “Okay, maybe once won’t hurt.” 

Steven watched as she embraced her more rebellious side, and noticed how pretty she looked, even while choking and hacking after taking too hard of a hit. He couldn’t help but laugh as the high kicked in. Suddenly, all his trauma seemed like distant memories. Right here, in this moment? He was truly happy. 

As they returned to the manor, Connie stretched and put a smile on her face. “I should probably get home. I’ve already missed two study sessions for you.” She hugged Steven tightly, embracing his journey of self-discovery in full. “Try not to get arrested, I don’t want to be talking to you in a jailhouse.” 

“I don’t want to explain to my dad why he has to post bail.” Steven gave a short laugh before giving Connie a parting kiss. And just like that, she was on Lion’s back and across the country. He looked back to his new friends, Mabel holding back tears. 

“Relationship goals.” 

Pacifica groaned before putting an arm around her. “What, I’m not good enough?” 

“Eh, you can be kind of a bitch sometimes.” Steven watched the two argue playfully before looking to the destroyed dondai. And part of him wondered if maybe the accident happened for a reason. 

“Hey, Mabel.” She looked over to Steven, surprised to see him looking more chipper than he did previously. “Think you can do my hair like yours? I think it’s time for a change.” 

Mabel's hand went up to her undercut with a massive grin, stars in her eyes. “Um. _Yes_. Let me find Dipper’s clippers!” 

Her brother watched her run off before he could respond with “I didn’t say you could-” 

Steven woke late in the night, mouth dry with thirst. As he wandered through the halls and into the kitchen to get a glass of water, he blinked away drowsiness to see Amethyst sitting on the counter and eating an entire bag of chips. 

“A-Amethyst?” 

“Yo, sup Steve? Like your hair.” 

Steven wondered if he was still dreaming, but then he heard the sound of somebody outside. Specifically the sound of Pearl yelping as she dropped something on her foot. He watched Ford pass by, and wondered if that man ever slept. 

He joined Ford on the front porch, only to see Garnet and Pearl installing a small warp pad. “What are you guys doing here?” 

“Oh, you know them?” Ford took a much less defensive stance, heading back inside with a curt nod. “Carry on, then.” 

Garnet dropped the warp pad into place after freeing Pearl’s foot. “Steven. Connie told us about your little escapade earlier.” 

Steven let out a nervous chuckle. “Oh, well, what did she say?” 

“Only that you participated in destroying private property.” Garnet turned Pearl to face Steven as well, smiling. “Seems like you're finding the rebellious side of your inner crystal gem.” 

Pearl walked over to Steven and hugged him tightly. “Oh, look at my baby, destroying the property of oppressors. It brings me back to my youth.” 

Steven let out a bit of a laugh as Amethyst wandered out to join them. “Yo, P, you notice Steven’s hair?” 

“I did, it looks so good on you!” 

Steven looked to the warp pad with a smile. “Making a direct link between here and Beach City, I see.” 

“Uh, duh, dude. If you’re gonna be here for a while, we wanna drop in and see you.” Amethyst threw an arm over him and stopped as a familiar scent hit her nose. “Woah, guys, Steven’s smokin’ pot!” 

A panic flooded Steven as his thoughts began to race. He looked to Pearl, feeling a deep shame resonate within him. “I-” Then Pearl began to laugh. “Pearl, why are you laughing?” 

“Oh, you look so scared.” Pearl calmed herself and looked the boy right in the eye with a smile. “Steven, we aren’t mad at you. It’s normal to want to try new things, experience the unknown. We’re proud of you for being human. For wanting to explore and discover.” 

“Yes.” Garnet placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, taking off her visor to make eye contact. “I knew you’d try it eventually. I'm surprised you hadn’t tried it sooner, to be honest.” 

Steven felt tears well up inside of him, and hugged his family with a laugh. For once, he felt like everything was right. Like his life was falling neatly into place. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warnings ahead for past physical abuse

“Thanks for letting me talk to you.” Pacifica sat in the moonlight on the roof of her former home with Steven, gazing at the stars. “I don’t want to worry Mabel with my family problems; not with everything she’s been through.”

“Dude.” Steven shoved a handful of chips into his mouth between words, laying on the flat roof. “Don’t even talk to me about keeping others from worrying about my problems. I was so jazzed up, trying to seem like I was fine, that I literally turned into a kaiju. Big pink Godzilla.”

Pacifica let out a hard sigh before falling onto her back. “How do you tell your girlfriend about your  fucked up problems?”

“I usually try not to. But it’s easy for Connie to see right through me. Keeps me grounded.”

“What would you do in my situation?”

Steven stifled a laugh before looking over at her. “My therapist says to stop trying to fix people’s problems because I only have the energy to do what’s best for me right now.”

“Oh, ouch, the kaiju thing must have really fucked you up, huh?”

Steven let out a short laugh as he sat up. “I think you shouldn’t worry about your parents so much. All they ever did was hurt you." He glared at the gem in his stomach with a grin. “You have to break the cycle somehow, right?”

“Wow, dude... you okay?” Pacifica scooted closer to Steven and put a hand on his shoulder. “You need to talk?”

“I have a very complicated relationship with my mother,” Steven breathed. He hugged his knees close as he began counting the grains of dirt on the shingles. “She was both a victim and an abuser. She fled from her shitty home life and hurt everybody around her. Garnet, Pearl, Amethyst, Dad-” Pink enveloped his body as the roof beneath them shifted with his sudden density. “- and me! She hurt me most of all by leaving all her problems unsolved. Leaving me to fix it all.”

Pacifica silently hugged him and smiled, letting him say what he needed to.

“But in the end, I know that she did everything she did on earth to protect others. All the hard choices – bubbling Bismuth, faking her shattering, keeping Pearl from revealing the truth – It was all to protect them.” Steven’s eyes turned to the stars, reflected in his brimming tears. “Do I love you for the person you became or hate you for the monster you were? I just... don’t know.”

Pacifica released her hold before following his gaze, suddenly beginning to understand. “It’s funny. That’s kind of how I feel about my parents.”

“Why?” Steven looked to the blonde with knitted brows. “It isn’t like me at all; they hurt you directly, knowingly.”

“Heh, I  dunno . I guess because we were so influential, our image was literally the only thing protecting us.” She pulled out her phone and blinked at the last picture of her and her parents, the cover shoot. She saw the trash in her hair and the dorky grin on her face and just sighed. “After this photo shoot, our family business started losing sponsors. That was only amplified when we had to sell the manor.”

Steven saw how her gaze turned down to the roof they sat upon, her hand gently rested upon it.

“I stopped getting money from my parents because, between the business and our new house, they were struggling to maintain any semblance of what we had before. That was when I picked up my job at Greasy’s. Because I wanted to help.”

“Did you?”

“No.” Pacifica flopped back down with a sigh. “They didn’t want my dirty money. They didn’t want the kid that ruined their life.”

“Paz,” The use of her nickname snapped her head to Steven’s angry and concerned gaze, “none of that was your fault. Your parents were abusive and selfish, end of story.”

“But-”

“No buts.” Steven stood and glared up at the star that was homeworld, glimmering in the distance. “They were only trying to protect themselves. They never cared about you, they cared about the image that you provided.”

“That’s easy enough for you to say. But it’s complicated. They gave me everything I have. I’ll always love my mom and dad.” Steven looked down at Pacifica’s brimming tears and softened his gaze.

“I’m sorry. Parents being shitty is a sensitive topic for me.” Steven put a gentle hand on her shoulder with a smile. “Whatever path you choose to take, you know everybody will support you.”

_ Steven blearily opened his eyes to see the remnants of a fiery crash on a beach somewhere. He only had to glance at his hands to see that they weren’t his. He scanned the area and found a single cracked gem amongst the wreckage. _

_ The gem he was seeing through scrambled over to the cracked pink gem. “My Sapphire.... oh, stars.” He frantically looked around the beach, wanting to escape the rain, and dashed into a nearby cavern. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.” _

Steven woke suddenly, the last thing he could remember being the unmistakable bright light of fusion. “Oh,  jeeze . Who were those gems...?” The beam of light from the window hit his eyes directly, prompting him to move.

He went downstairs to meet Mabel and Pacifica in the living room. Mabel was helping her girlfriend with a case of unmanageable hair. “Don’t worry, hun, I got this.”

“I hope so. You’re the only  uncertified person I trust with my hair.”

“We have plenty of time since the boys are TAKING SO- oh, Steven!” Mabel waved before realizing her mistake. Pacifica’s hair took the opening and fluffed back out, slapping Mabel in the face as it did so. “Ugh. I have my hands full; can you go see what’s taking Dipper so long?”

Steven shook his head and went back up to the bedrooms. He went to knock, stopping as soon as he heard sobbing. “Dipper?” He poked his head in, surprised to see Dipper standing shirtless in front of his mirror. Bruises covered his back, and a sudden wave of concern washed over Steven, bathing him in pink. He cleared his throat and called his name a little louder.

Dipper spun around, holding himself, terrified. “S-Steven. I-I-”

“Do you need any help?” A long silence hung around his question before there was a response.

“Y-Yeah. My binder isn’t fitting right today, can you help me get it on?” Steven walked over as the other boy slid the garment on. “Just- try to pull it down in the back; it likes to roll up. And be careful? It's tender back there.”

The pink grew brighter as the slightest pressure caused Dipper to whine.  _ What gave him those bruises? _ “Dude, it’s  gonna be too tight. You shouldn’t force it.” Dipper undid the latches before flopping onto his bed with uncontrollable tears.  _ I can’t just leave him here like this. I  _ _ gotta _ _ let Mabel know. _ “I’ll be right back, just sit tight, bro.”

Mabel was finally finished with Pacifica’s hair as Steven calmly walked into the room, and turned to greet him with a wide smile. “Hey! Where’s Dip?”

“Uh...” Steven rubbed at the back of his neck, “Dipper’s having a bad body image day. I think I’m  gonna hang out here with him today.”

Mabel’s eyes darkened with understanding. “We’ll pick him up some ice cream while we’re out. Keep an eye on him, please?”

“Yeah. Always.” As the girls left, Steven wandered back to Dipper’s room to find him in a baggy knit sweater that  mabel probably made him. “You, uh.... wanna talk about what happened to your back?”

“You can NOT tell Stan and Ford. I don’t need extra family drama right now.” Dipper scooted over and patted his bed, allowing Steven to sit beside him. “We moved here last minute because of dad. I went on T without telling him or mom, and he lost it.”

Steven looked to the floor, an unrelenting anger building inside of him. “I’m glad you’re out of there.”

“I mean, Mabel and I are  gonna be twenty next month. What’s he  gonna do, class us as runaways? We’re adults, St-”

Steven glanced to Dipper’s uncomfortable expression. “What’s up?”

“Funny thing, actually. My dad’s name is Stephen with a “ph”.”

“Steff-en.” The two sat in awkward silence before Dipper slowly started to bubble over with laughter, flopping onto his bed.

“I’m never  gonna think of him as anything other than Steff-en now.” He looked over to Steven with a soft smile. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. You need anybody to talk to about this shit, you got me.” Dipper felt a tension in his chest, and threw his arms around Steven in gratitude, resulting in a sudden bright glow.

“ Whoah ...” He looked down to his feet, confused as to why Steven’s sandles were how too small to fit. Steven smiled knowingly as Dipper peered around their new form in awe. “Steven, what is this?”

“Fusion.” Steven gave the simple answer, throwing one of the two right arms they now shared behind their head lazily. “We’re a fusion.”

“Every time I think I’ve seen the weirdest thing you can throw at  me I stand corrected.” They stood from the bed, legs wobbling at first as Dipper adjusted. “How is this possible?”

“I... honestly don’t know. Usually gems can do this because their bodies are just super condensed light?” The fusion took another wobbly step. “But I’m half organic. I guess rules don’t apply to me.”

“Dipper, I'd like your assistance with something!” They looked to the door as it opened to a very confused Ford. He scanned the two over, blinking in surprise. “Never mind, I can see you’re busy. I’ll come back later.”

As the door clicked shut, the fusion collapsed. Steven and Dipper fell to the floor in a heap. They shared a glance, and Steven was happy to see a smile on his friend’s face again. He helped the other boy stand with a grin.

“You wanna go play video games?”

“Yeah. I think that’ll help.”

Mabel and Pacifica returned to find the boys in the living room playing a fighting game. Through their bits of banter, she could tell Steven was winning.

“Fu- God da- Dude, you can’t use that combo over and over again.”

“If it  ain’t broke, don’t fix it, Dip.”

“This is why they banned this character in tournaments.”

“Actually, he is  legal , but just not two on the same team.”

“Dude, are you serious?”

“Salty?”

“No, but you’re about to be.”

Mabel laughed at the loud explosions from the game and the triumphant “Game Match”.

“Boo, that’s cheap.”

“Not as cheap as spamming Meta Knight constantly.”

“Boys.” Mabel and Pacifica’s voices called their attention, upon which she promptly pelted her brother in the face with a pint of ice cream. “You all know that  Paz’d beat you both in a heartbeat.”

“I’m tournament trained.”

Dipper sat back up, rubbing his face before opening the ice cream. “How was band practice?”

“Oh, you know. Robbie still can’t sing worth a damn.” Mabel flipped over the back of the  cuch , landing beside her brother with a smile. “I think his nicotine addiction is starting to fuck up his voice a little bit, actually. It’s good for metal covers, but not much else.”

“Personally,” Pacifica interjected, sitting on the arm of the couch and laying across the twins’ laps, “He couldn’t sing before, either. He’s a guitarist.”

“That still doesn’t solve the fact that we need a lead singer, hun.”

Steven found himself lost in thought before seeing both the girls’ eyes on him. “You wanted me to go so you could scope out my voice, didn’t you?”

“I mean,” Mabel coyly averted her gaze to the ceiling, “You  _ did _ help Sadie Killer’s group get their start. And their sound was kind of our inspiration.”

As soon as she flashed that smile, he was hooked. “God, you really are a manipulator, huh?”

“You love me~!” Mabel reached past her brother to playfully punch Steven’s arm, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

Before he could respond, there were frantic footsteps as Stan, Ford, and the  McGuckets came streaming down the stairs. “Kids, you’re  gonna have the manor to yourself for a few days,” Stan noted as he set down his luggage to catch his breath.

“Yes,  Fiddleford has a family emergency in  Tennesee , and Sherman requested our presence.”

“I’m pretty sure he killed somebody.”

“Stanley, we’ve been over this, you can’t just assume that every time he calls us.”

“Have I been wrong?”

Ford looked at the wall with a stunned silence. “Yes, every single time in fact.” He waved a short goodbye to the kids as they shuffled out the door.

Their silence lasted until they could no longer hear the car. “Okay,” Steven answered. “But our first play out has to be a party.”


End file.
